First Command
by Jedi-2B
Summary: Luke's first mission as an officer has unexpected obstacles. One shot challenge fic


**Timeline:** About a year after _A New Hope_.

**Characters:** Luke Skywalker, Rebel pilots, H/L  
**Author's Notes:** Written for the April Showers challenge in the Luke characterization thread at tf.n's fanfic boards:

Prior to leaving Tatooine in ANH, Luke likely didn't have much experience with water. Write a fic where he encounters it, positively or negatively.

_Must include the words: __Ponderous, Assuage, Exhilaration, Dubious_

And thanks to GreatOne for her very helpful suggestions.

**FIRST COMMAND**

_Rebel Base_

"They made you a lieutenant?" Pausing in his repairs on the _Falcon_ as Luke Skywalker walked up, Han Solo shook his head in amusement. "I knew this outfit was hard up, kid."

"You don't think I'm capable?"

Han laid one hand on his younger friend's shoulder in an attempt to assuage Luke's obvious worry. "You know I'm just jokin', Luke. Course you're capable." He favored Luke with a wink. "Show 'em what a Jedi-wannabe is made of."

Only partially relieved, Luke gave Han a weak smile. "Uh, thanks."

"So, they give you an assignment yet?"

Luke's eyes lit up in obvious enthusiasm. "Yes. Tomorrow morning I take three of the other pilots, and we infiltrate a possible Imperial base on Quedor IV."

"Just you four?" Han frowned. "Four fighter pilots?"

"It has to be small ships," Luke explained. "So we can avoid detection. We'll have to land at least ten or fifteen kilometers away, of course, then travel on foot to the base. Once we get there, all we have to do is snap some holos and plant some listening bugs. Easy as dak-pie." He grinned widely. "In fact, I'd better get going, Han. I have to map out our route to the base."

"Okay, kid. Good luck." Han snapped off a jaunty salute. "May the Force be with you."

_

* * *

__Quedor IV_

By late afternoon the next day, Lieutenant Luke Skywalker was tightening down the camouflage netting over his X-wing, ignoring Artoo-Detoo's squeals of protest at being left behind. His companions - Wedge Antilles, Wes Janson, and Hobbie Klivian - were finishing up as well, and preparing for their upcoming hike to the enemy encampment. Soon the group was making its way over the rocky terrain, with Luke carefully checking the map on his datapad. After the third trek up and down deep ravines, Wes could no longer keep silent.

"You sure this is the best route, boss?"

"I'm sure," Luke said, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's a straight path to the base, so it's bound to be the fastest route."

"I think I'd rather try out a crooked path," Hobbie quipped. "My feet are starting to hurt."

"Quit your whining, you two," Wedge snapped. "If Luke says this is the best way, then this is the best way." He cast a dubious glance toward Luke. "Isn't that right, sir?"

"Wedge…" Luke shook his head. He didn't think he'd ever get used to being in command of anyone, especially his fellow pilots and friends. "Let's just keep going."

They were halfway to the base when Wes and Hobbie were the first to clamber up a steep slope.

"Sithspit!" Hobbie looked back at Luke with a look of disbelief. "Are you _sure_ this is the route you want us to take? Sir?"

"Why? It should be only a grassy plain on the other side of this ridge," Luke protested. He hurried up to where the two men stood. "Can't you― Blaster bolts!" Luke's jaw dropped at the sight of a clear blue lake. "This can't be right!"

"Can I see that map of yours?" Wedge asked, holding out one hand. When Luke handed him the datapad, he studied it for a moment, then narrowed his eyes at his commanding officer. "Uh, what made you think this was a plain?"

Luke snatched the map back. "Lampress Lake. It says it right there. And I know that lampress is a kind of wild grass. So this should be a field of grass."

"It also says _lake_," Wes pointed out, looking for the world like he wanted to add 'you dummy.'

"But, that doesn't mean there has to be water," Luke maintained, feeling his heart sink. "I grew up by the Dune Sea. It was a sea of sand dunes, not water."

Wes and Hobbie couldn't hold back their burst of laughter. They fell to the ground, rolling with guffaws.

Luke could feel his face turning red. Of all the stupid, lame-brain mistakes to make. He looked sideways at Wedge, who was holding a hand in front of his mouth in an effort to hide his own chuckling. "Go ahead and laugh," Luke told him. "I deserve it."

"Ah, now, Luke…" Wedge smiled. "It was an honest mistake. Coulda happened to anybody."

"None of you would've made such a foolish error."

"Anybody from a desert planet, then." Wedge shaded his eyes and gazed across at the far side of the lake, then shrugged off his pack. "Guess we'll just get to it."

"What do you mean?" Luke looked around at Wes and Hobbie, who had already plopped down and were removing their boots. "What are you doing? We'll have to walk that much faster now."

"Walk?" Hobbie laughed as he pulled a stretchy bag out of his survival pack. "We're going for a swim, desert boy."

Luke didn't even notice the non-protocol nickname. "Swim across the lake? No, we have to hike around it." He picked the datapad up from where Wedge had laid it, biting his lower lip in anxiety.

"I looked at the map, Luke," Wedge said. "The lake is long and narrow, and we're right smack at the midpoint. It would take us an extra half day to go around, no matter which way we went. And we have to reach the Imp base before sunset to get those surveillance holos that the brass wants."

"But… but …" Luke knew he was getting panicky, but his self-image as the perfect commander had already disappeared. "There's gotta be some other way. Maybe we could build a boat, or a raft." He desperately looked around for any kind of limbs that could be used.

"There isn't a tree to cut down for kilometers," Wedge needlessly pointed out. "C'mon, that's why we have these standard-issue flotation bags." He pulled out a membrane sack just like the one that Hobbie was already stuffing his survival pack into. "These things are watertight; all your gear will stay completely dry."

_It's not my gear I'm worried about_, Luke thought. The notion of pulling rank and insisting they hike around the lake disappeared as fast as it came. And he couldn't let his men go on ahead of him while he jogged around the lake, or worse yet, sat there and waited for them. This was going to be the shortest-lived officer's career in history. "Maybe you should take charge of this operation, Wedge," he muttered forlornly.

"What are you talking about?" Wedge paused as he was pulling off his shirt. "This isn't much of a setback." He peered closer at Luke's look of hopelessness. "You can't swim, can you?"

Luke shook his head, too embarrassed to even admit to his deficiency out loud.

"Well, boys, what are we waiting for?" Wes jumped up, looking far too enthusiastic for Luke's liking.

"You're not throwing me in!" Luke backed away, stumbling over rocks in his haste. "That's an order!"

Hobbie and Wedge erupted in a new round of laughter as Luke zigzagged back and forth to avoid Wes's grabs. Finally Wedge took pity on his new commanding officer, tackling Wes from behind. "We're wasting time, guys." He gave Luke an amused wink. "This is not going to look good on Lt. Skywalker's report."

As if Luke had the faintest intention of writing any inkling of this in his report. Stepping back, he eyed his friends, all of whom were now staring at him with their arms crossed. "Guess we'd better decide what we're going to do," he murmured.

"You know what _we_ have to do," Wedge returned. "Sir."

Luke once more glanced out at the smooth watery surface, then back at his men. He exhaled deeply, resigned to his fate. "All right, guys. Teach me to swim."

Wes began rubbing his hands together in anticipation, until he caught Wedge's glare.

"First, stuff all your gear and outer clothes into your bag, like we have," Wedge instructed. He patiently waited as Luke methodically began placing everything in his bag. "Down to your skivvies, Lieutenant," he added with a half-smile when Luke hesitated. "Unless you want to make the second half of the trip marching in soaking wet pants."

_Doesn't matter, I'll probably drown before I'm halfway across,_ Luke thought as he finished undressing.

"The air inside the bag will keep it afloat," Wedge added. He gestured forward, and the three of them waded into the water, with Luke tentatively following. "So all you really have to do is hang onto it, and kick with your feet."

"Hug it like it's a warm-blooded woman," Wes suggested, pressing his own bag close against his body with an overly dramatic sigh.

"She's a little too lumpy for my tastes," Luke said dryly, grimacing as the slimy lake bottom squished up between his toes. He pulled on his bag's strap, and it bobbed gently on the water's surface behind him. The load wasn't nearly as heavy as it had been when hanging off his back, even with the addition of his boots and clothes. He had barely moved forward a meter when an undignified cry escaped his lips. "Something just brushed against my leg!"

"The little fishies nibbling at your toes?" Wes said with a snicker.

"Maybe it's that field of lampress grass," Hobbie added, laughing.

"You wouldn't think it was so funny if you'd been pulled underwater by a dianoga on the Death Star," Luke snapped back, his teeth already chattering from the frigid water.

The reminder of the perils that Luke had been through sobered up the pair of pranksters, at least momentarily. When they had all reached waist-high water, Wedge continued his lesson.

"Now tuck your bag under one arm, stroke with your other arm, and kick with your feet. Like this." He smoothly began demonstrating. "The more you move around, the sooner you'll get used to the coolness of the water, too."

"Cool? It's freezing!"

"It's invigorating, boss," Hobbie countered, plunging in up to his neck.

Ignoring Wes' wildly gyrating arms, Luke copied Wedge's movements as best he could. Once he'd become acclimated to the water temperature, it wasn't really so bad, since he was keeping a durasteel-grip on his buoyant bag. In fact, it was almost fun. Even Hobbie swimming up behind him and pulling his foot didn't dampen his spirits. He simply ordered him and Wes to swim ahead of him where he could see them at all times.

Luke was laughing at Hobbie and Wes splashing Wedge when his feeling of exhilaration died mid-chuckle. A tingle that he identified as his 'warning sense' caused his eyes to shoot upwards. "TIES!" Luke froze as the others also strained to see the enemy fighters. They were sitting mynocks out in the middle of the lake. Even with their reflective coating, the flotation bags could be spotted if seen at the right angle.

"Submerge!" Wedge yelled. He, Wes, and Hobbie all ducked underwater, pulling their bags with them.

_Submerge?_ The anxiety that Luke had initially felt on entering the lake, which had slowly been dissipating, now returned tenfold. He knew he had to sink out of sight. He knew he couldn't risk his men's lives because of his aquaphobia. He knew he had to hurry.

_An Alliance officer is brave._

_An X-wing pilot is brave._

_A Jedi is brave._

Luke looped his bag's strap across his chest, took a big gulp of air, and awkwardly began kicking his feet and swinging his arms to propel himself downward. He didn't think to try opening his eyes until he felt a tug on his arm. Wedge was gesturing frantically at Luke's inflated bag, which had now become infinitely more ponderous as he struggled to keep it from floating up. Luke was too agitated about running out of air to grasp what his friend was indicating until Wedge put his mouth on a forgotten valve sticking out of the bag's top. During his training, the life-saving bags had been briefly explained as being a valuable asset in case of an emergency ditching at sea. Luke remembered vowing never to ditch at sea.

Willing his nerves to calm down, Luke sucked in a mouthful of air in welcome relief. Wedge waved one hand in Luke's face, holding his thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart. Luke nodded in understanding. _A little at a time_. At least each intake of air made the bag less buoyant. He could just make out Wes and Hobbie through the murky water, also taking sips of air while moving their arms to stay submerged. The four of them spread out so that the bubbles floating upward would be less noticeable.

Luke tried to distract himself by thinking of something else. There was only so much air trapped in the bag. Would the others be able to keep both his bag and his lifeless body from floating to the surface? Would they survive to complete the mission? Would they tell Leia what happened to him? _Leia …_ Would she remember him fondly, or would he be just another casualty in the war against the Empire?

A new sensation struck Luke in the middle of his despondent musings. The TIES… He could no longer sense them. Ignoring the warning waves of the other men, he paddled desperately for the surface, gasping as the fresh air hit his face. Rubbing the droplets of water from his eyes, he scanned the horizon for any signs of the enemy. There were none. Hopefully it was only a routine patrol, and the TIES wouldn't be returning anytime soon. Artoo would've commed a warning to Luke if there was any indication that the X-wings had been detected.

The bobbing heads of Wedge, Wes, and Hobbie soon popped into sight. "Luke?" Wedge spluttered. He automatically looked up at the clear sky overhead, then back at his commanding officer. "You took a big chance, coming up so soon."

"I knew they were gone," Luke said, clutching his bag tightly while doing his best to tread water. Unfortunately the reduction of air substantially reduced the bag's worth as a flotation device.

"You _knew_?"

"The Force, I guess," Luke explained, reminding the others of his Jedi potential. His agitated splashing reminded them of his lack of prowess as a swimmer.

"Swing your arms, hand over hand," Wedge said, falling back into the role of instructor. "Just let your bag float behind you." He watched as Luke began complying. "Don't forget to kick your feet."

Minutes later, the four pilots were trudging out of the water in exhaustion. Wes and Hobbie's antics had tapered off considerably by now.

"I gotta hand it to you, boss," Hobbie said, panting. "You're a quick learner. 'Specially when those TIES showed up."

"Maybe we should put him up for a medal - 'Courage under duress.'" Wes grinned widely.

"Guys, please." Luke sat down on the rocky shore, still shivering as the cool air hit his wet skin. "I know I messed up royally. You don't have to rub it in."

"We're not," Wedge said. "You did great, Luke. You not only braved going into the water when you didn't know how to swim--"

"And still don't," Luke interjected. "Not really."

Wedge shook his head at Luke's modesty. "But you could tell the TIES were coming before any of us even heard them," he continued, "and you knew when they'd left. We couldn't ask for a better commanding officer." Wes and Hobbie both added their agreements.

Luke sighed. He still wasn't convinced, but sitting there arguing the point wasn't getting this mission accomplished. "All right. Then as your commander, I say we get going before that patrol decides to return."

The others laughed, then quickly redressed and resumed their hike to the enemy base. To Luke's relief, the completion of the actual mission went off without a hitch. He even managed to swim back across the lake in the moonlight without incident, though his strokes were far from as smooth as the others'.

_

* * *

_

_Rebel Base_

"I'm tellin' ya, Your Worship, I could make that supply run in half the time you think." Han leaned back lazily in the plasteel cafeteria chair.

"And end up drawing attention to yourself in the process," Leia Organa countered sharply, stirring another cube of sweetener in her mug of caf. She looked up at the doorway to the cafeteria, a smile blooming on her face as Luke entered a moment later.

Giving Leia a sly wink, Han waved their friend over. "Hey, kid. How'd it go?

"Why?" Luke said guardedly. "What did you hear?"

Han grinned. "Nothing, nothing."

"I turned in my report to General Rieekan." Luke looked back and forth between Han and Leia.

"I heard," Leia said, nodding in approval. "He said it looked like you did a fine job."

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess." Luke nervously shuffled his feet. "Uh, well, I have to go."

As soon as Luke was out of sight, Han and Leia shared a chuckle instead of resuming their bickering. "Do you think he'll ever tell us the real story?" Leia asked.

"Not a chance."

Leia's eyes twinkled with mirth. "So it's a good thing that Janson has a big mouth."

Han favored Leia with his lopsided grin. "How many days should we give him before inviting him to a swimming party?"

"Go easy on him. You know how embarrassed he gets." Leia took a sip of her caf. "Though I can't believe Luke made such a silly mistake to begin with."

"That's cause you still believe he's the brains, sweetheart."

"Compared to you, laserbreath, he still is."

**The End**


End file.
